


Hard Chill

by bewaretheboojum



Series: Hard Season [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Cold Weather, Cuddles, Cute Dogs, Fluff, Jason's Plaid Blanket, M/M, Schmoop, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-02 01:37:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17878625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bewaretheboojum/pseuds/bewaretheboojum
Summary: Tim foolishly decides to do recon on a snowy night. Luckily Herc and Jason are around to warm him up.





	Hard Chill

Jason looked up from his book as Herc whined, pathetically. Jason smiled over at the incredibly spoiled dog, then reached out a hand to rub behind Herc’s ears, affectionately. Herc huffed out a happy breath and resettled himself back on the couch.

The two of them were curled up on Jason’s sofa, the much-maligned plaid blanket covering them up. Jason was reading and Herc was snoozing as ice cold gusts of wind cut through the frigid Gotham night outside. Snow squalls whirled past Jason’s window, coating his fire escape and making Jason feel very glad that he had off from work for the next two days.

Turning back to his book, one-handed this time so he could continue to pet Herc’s ears, Jason went back to his reading. Jason had been on a non-fiction kick, he had read three books this month by investigative journalists. He liked to compare their methodology to his own and sometimes to Tim’s. It was an interesting thought exercise.

Jason was idly weighing the pros and cons of getting up from the couch to get another mug of cocoa when he came to the end of the chapter he was reading when he heard a light tap at his window.

Herc got up immediately, shaking off the blanket as he walked over to the window and stared up at it expectantly. Jason looked up from his book and saw a figure silhouetted in his window. The finger tapped again at his window, this time a little faster.

Jason rushed over, unlocked the window and pushed it open. A shivering, snow covered Red Robin, looking more white than red at that moment, stumbled through his window and into Jason’s apartment. Jason closed the window quickly after him and relocked the hasp, shivering at the gust of wind that had come into the apartment with Tim.

“What the hell?” Jason said, brushing snow off of Tim’s shoulders and out of his hair.

“I was out on some recon,” Tim explained, his teeth still chattering slightly. His face was pink from the cold and his eyes were watering from the gusting wind. “I didn’t realize it would be this cold. I figured I’d stop by to defrost. The snow squalls are making getting home a little problematic.”

Tim pulled his sodden, snow covered gloves off his hands with his teeth. Reaching out a trembling hand, Tim pet a whimpering Herc.

“Were you a good boy for Jay?” Tim asked him.

“He was very good. He was helping me read my book.” Jason said, still looking Tim over. “You look half frozen, babe.”

“Only half?” Tim asked, smiling at him through snow covered lashes.

Jason smiled at him and used his thumb to brush away the snow on Tim’s face.

“Let’s get you out of those wet clothes.”

“Ooooh, look at you,” Tim teased. “Smooth man with all the lines.”

“That’s literally not a line,” Jason said dryly, helping Tim pull off the outer parts of his uniform. 

“Literally the only time that hasn’t been a line…” Tim drawled, kicking off his boots.

“I don’t want to hear any sass from a man getting snow all over my carpet. And my dog,” Jason said.

“I would like to point out that Herc is actually my dog,” Tim said as they set the sodden pieces of his uniform aside and followed Jason into his bedroom in search of a pair of sweatpants.

“I’m not sure Herc would agree with you if you asked him,” Jason said smugly as Herc came up beside him and nudged Jason’s thigh with his nose. “I think he’d insist on joint custody.”

Tim changed into some of Jason’s overlarge sweats and the three of them made their way to the sofa. They settled back on to the couch and Jason pulled the blanket back over the three of them. Tim made his obligatory complaints about the relative ugliness of the plaid blanket while Jason chaffed Tim’s hands between his to warm them.

“What the hell made you decide to go out and do recon in this weather?”

“I was just planting cameras,” Tim explained. “Nothing too intense. I figured I wouldn’t be out for more than an hour or so. Besides, everyone is inside, so no one would spot me planting the devices. It seemed like the perfect time…”

“Except?” Jason prompted.

Tim sighed and leaned over to put his head on Jason’s shoulder. Jason shivered as Tim pressed his still cold cheek against the skin of Jason’s neck.

“Except for that the wind and the snow made everything exponentially harder so it took me twice as long to plant the cameras. Ultimately, I decided it wasn’t worth it to try and trek all the way home tonight.”

Jason smiled and pressed a kiss to Tim’s temple. Tim leaned into the kiss and rubbed his nose against Jason’s shoulder to warm it.

“So you decided you’d just come here and crash the party I was having with Herc.”

Tim nodded over to Jason’s side table, which contained a handful of Herc’s treats, an empty cocoa mug and the book Jason was currently reading. 

“Yeah,” Tim drawled. “Looks like a wild party.”

Jason laughed wrapped his arms around Tim. He pulled Tim into a hug, pressing his lips against Tim’s cold cheek. He settled them both on the sofa, with Tim laying half on top of him. Herc rested his head on Jason’s thigh while Tim rested his on Jason’s shoulder. 

“Don’t tell anyone,” Jason said in a soft tone of voice. “I might lose my street cred.”

“Your secret is safe with us, right Herc?” Tim said, rubbing at Herc’s ears.

Herc let out a low, affirmative breath and settled into the couch, trying to see if he could get more space on it.

Pulling the blanket more securely around the three of them, Jason felt very warm, despite Tim’s cold feet against his. 

“Herc and I are glad you came over,” Jason said.

“Mmmm, me too,” Tim said, his hands sneakily slipping under the hem of Jason’s shirt. Tim put his cold hands on Jason’s belly to warm them. Jason let him with only a slight squirm of discomfort, too happy to have Tim in his arms to complain.

A loud gust of wind whistled through Jason’s fire escape and Tim shivered in Jason’s arms. Jason ran his hands up and down Tim’s back, trying to warm him as best he could.

“The wind can’t get you now, babe. Not with Herc and I here to protect you.”

Tim’s face was pressed against Jason’s neck as he tried to warm his nose in the spot under Jason’s chin. Jason could feel Tim smile against his skin before he pressed a soft kiss to the underside of Jason’s jaw.

“I know,” Tim said back softly and Jason smiled too.

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this during the 'Polar Vortex' a few weeks back. Needed to think warm thoughts while riding on a very cold and gusty train. 
> 
> Can't wait for spring!!!
> 
> Hope everyone else is keeping warm!


End file.
